Power supply

[kuba]

seems like Ultra is a popular brand at tigerdirect's site...anye ever hear of them?
any recommendations for a dual-core, non SLI rig....thanks.

Athlon X2 3800
XFX Geforce 6800GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card
ASUS A8N-E mobo


http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProdList&cmd=pl&id=PS.808
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/Category/category_tlc.asp?CatId=106
http://www.logiccomputerhouse.com/site/main.php?module=catalog&catID=151
are my choices from where I'm going to be buying from...no i don't plan to overclock either.

anyone also know what it means when a power supply derates?
http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/reviews/cases/Cooler_Master_550W_8.html
2nd paragraph in linke above states, the downisde is the derating factor under high temperatures.
thanks

 

[JEDIYoda]

Just becuase something is popular doesn`t equate it as being a good PSU!!

When I think of ULTRA right off the bat I think of bling bling...

heres an explanation of derating...
Technically Speaking

An Interview With Doug Dodson, President & Founder Of PC Power & Cooling

CPU: One of your apparent pet peeves has to do with PSU temperature ratings. Why exactly?

Dodson: People don?t understand that the actual temperature that the power supply and its components see is far higher than room temperature. When a power supply is rated for 25 degrees C, like most of our competitors, especially the ones that are designed for home use, that?s a totally fabricated number put together in order to exaggerate the wattage claim.

CPU: Why fabricated?

Dodson: There is no way in the world that the air going to the power supply is going to be 25 degrees Celsius in the real world because with a 15-degree buildup inside the machine first, before the air reaches the power supply, that means that the room temperature would have to be 10 degrees C. Now you?re talking about it being in the 50s Fahrenheit. What these guys selling power supplies rated for 25 C are saying is that as long as you use the power supply in a room that?s 50 degrees Fahrenheit, you?re OK. But if you were to actually go through the de-rating that they keep very secret and re-rate those power supplies that are rated at 25 C at a more realistic 40, you?d have to cut the wattage rating by at least 33%, compared to what they?re advertising. You have a 400W power supply, but the fine print is, yeah, at 25 degrees C. At 40 degrees C, it?s a 300W power supply, and the public doesn?t understand that it?s not getting an apples to apples sort of rating when it is out there, buying it in the store, because these manufacturers don?t even specify what the ambient temperature is for full load. That?s one of the most common deceptive practices in the power supply business.

 

[kuba]

so a 550watt power supply, according to this article would really be 365.5watts? corret?
Thanks Jedi

 

[TrevorRC]

No....
Not exactly
Check how it's rated. [25C vs 40C.]

Check which rails the amperage is on. [You want the vast majority on the 12v rail(s)].

Above all, check the manufacturer.

Ex:
SParkle & Fortron are good PSU mfg's, but they're in the budget range.
Fortron is the OEM for OCZ/etc.

Medium-High end MFG's would be Enhance, Silverstone, and the like..

High-high end would be PC Power & Cooling... Zippy/Emacs...

www.jonnyguru.com

He has a list of Manufacturers on the side. Read it [It's a link].
--Trevor

 

[kuba]

is there such a thing as TOO MUCH power? Tim the Toolman Taylor, would laugh at me...but...I was was considering the enermax 620, since it's rated very well, don't mind spending more if it means quality.

geeezus, i need a fan to, don't i? :\ this is my first build so ya im a n000blet

 

[TrevorRC]

That would probably be overkill.

As I said, check out JonnyGuru's site.

He has some great reviews on power supplies, including that Ultra you were looking at.

Check it out.
--Trevor

 

[Cheesetogo]

I would stay far away from Ultra, they are not good quality. Enermax is great, but you don't need 620 watts. I'd go with the 535 or 420 watt model.

 

[kuba]

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.ph...owProduct&cmd=pd&pid=008255&cid=PS.808
think i'm gonna go for this one, 500w version, same pipelies as jonny's only less.
yay or nay
thanks again guys appreciate the replies

 

[Zepper]

Yeah, and we wish we hadn't. Ultra is a TD house brand. 'nuff said...

.bh.

 

[furballi]

If the case is properly vented, then the intake air temp of the PSU should be 5 to 6C higher than the room temp. The maximum output of ALL PSUs will go down with elevated temperature. In general, a good 350 watts PSU from a reputable mfr should work for most basic rigs.

PC vendors like HP and Dell can't afford to install overpriced PSUs cause no one will buy their PCs. As I recall, the majority of these come with a 350 watts MAX PSU. Oh yeah, these PSUs will generally run in a hot environment cause those cheap DELL cases do not vent well.

 

[TrevorRC]

Originally posted by: kuba
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.ph...owProduct&cmd=pd&pid=008255&cid=PS.808
think i'm gonna go for this one, 500w version, same pipelies as jonny's only less.
yay or nay
thanks again guys appreciate the replies

Getting closer, but keep looking Read all of the posts. You're missing something.

 

[kuba]

K I give, what am i missing?

 

[AZReDWiNG]

Ultra broke my computer

true story

 

[kuba]

thats odd, considering jonnyguru gave that PSU a nice rating of 8.5

 

[potato28]

Originally posted by: kuba
thats odd, considering jonnyguru gave that PSU a nice rating of 8.5

But it can fry ur pc... or give you alot of headaches. Heres a great PSU

 

[kuba]

this is brutal...lol
damn choices.

comparing the antec tpII-550 v.s. silverstone's st56zf
seems like the pipes lay better on silverstone's, on the 12V, which is important correct?

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-56zf.htm
http://www.antec.com/specs/TPII550_spe.html

 

[JEDIYoda]

antec or silverstone..thats a no brainer...go Silverstone!!

 

[kuba]

what would you recommend for a 2nd fan 120mm (rear), or is a fan a fan?

 

[Luckyboy1]

http://www.coolerguys.com/840556001058.html

If it's too loud at high speed... and I doubt it will be, just either hook it to your fan controller, or if you don't have a fan controller, go down to Radio Shack and get a 1 ohm ceramic resistor and put it on the positive lead.

 

[kuba]

none of the stores around me sell panaflo's
http://www.logiccomputerhouse.com/site/main.php?module=catalog&catID=267
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProdList&cmd=pl&id=FN.505
http://www.infonec.com/site/main.php?module=catalog&catID=366
that's it, thanks btw.

 

[TrevorRC]

Grab a Sanyo Denki fan.

AKA San Ace.

38mm deep fan. Great stuff. At 5V it's silent [Unless you drop them, and then a near-imperceptible humming noise comes about. Happened to me ]; but pushes as much air as most 120mm fans at full speed.

At 12v.... wow. It pushes out as much air as most desk fans. No kidding.
--Trevor

 

[kuba]

can't get any of those either, lol
guess ill stick to coolmaster, thermaltake or one of the well known guys, since none recommended are at the stores i listed.